Down South
by LatimerBaka
Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys. [Dreamshipping AsukaxJohan. Split into 'parts' and while it focuses on these two, Fubuki and Ryo keep constantly popping in.]
1. PART I

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. I never figured I'd like a pairing made of pure crack, but I quite like Judai and Asuka, which is very similar. It's a something part mini story I'm doing, because I think this pairing is cute. Does anyone else like it I wonder?**

**PART I**

"I don't."

"But Manjoume can be really gallant you know?"

"Momo-"

"I think you should date Ryo. Ah, unless you are already, which you are so-"

"Junko-"

"It's Judai-!"

"Look," Asuka cut in sharply, troubled with the hard task of restraining her temper, "I'm not remotely interested in boys."

"But Asuka-"

"I love duelling," she said firmly, brandishing her duel disk. Her two friends frowned at it as though it were the bane of their lives. After a few moments, Momo paled and gulped. Junko shot her a questioning look, while Asuka stared through slitted eyes.

Momo seemed to have discovered something.

Asuka sighed exasperatedly.

"Ah, Asuka?" she queried, averting her eyes. The blonde arched a brow. "You tell us...lots of things, don't you?"

She blinked.

"I tell you most things. What are you getting at?"

"Momo?" the other girl prompted.

"Um, ah...are you...?" Momo proceeded to gulp again. "Do you...prefer our gender?"

Asuka sighed for the second time, though this time it was in resignation.

* * *

Was it so wrong to be more focused on duelling than dating?

...Apparently so, if your best friends who happened to be your roommates were boy hounds.

"Honestly," Asuka grumbled, crossing her arms, "I never get a break. They keep asking me questions I've answered years ago."

"Yeah...hey...this shirt or this one?"

"What? The...one with the stripes."

"Ah, thanks Asuka."

"How do I stop them from-?"

"Does this tie work?"

"Fubuki," Asuka growled, "have you been listening at all?"

Her brother whipped his head around to face her, a sheepish expression gracing it. Asuka sighed for a third time, resting her head against her hand. "Geez, I am desperate; coming to your for advice. I'd be better off consulting Judai." She finished with an irritated look in his direction.

He sweatdropped at her, raising his hands in defence.

"Sorry. I'm just really busy."

Her brow twitched.

"For a casual fling with some girls?"

Fubuki felt sweat accumulating at the base of his neck from her stare. Her eyes could be really scary.

"I try my best," he replied earnestly.

"Look, I think I'll just-"

"Wait."

Asuka obliged, casting intrigued eyes on her goofy older brother. He came prancing towards her, a big, cheesy grin plastered on his face.

That didn't reassure her.

"What?"

"Why don't you date Judai?"

A vein pulsed on Asuka's forehead, and she wasn't too happy with the fact she prevented herself from throttling Fubuki.

"For a start, Judai is like me; he only loves duelling, which I've told you so many times now."

Fubuki could only gawp at her.

"Surely you like a boy? C'mon, maybe that Johan-"

"Don't even go there," Asuka interjected, flushing slightly. She hadn't the slightest why his question had beckoned such a reaction from her. Either way, she hoped Fubuki had been too busy coming up with all her possible infatuations.

...But he hadn't.

That sly grin slowly winding its way up his face told her everything she dreaded.

Damnit.

"Asuka, why don't you come to the party with me?" he quizzed.

"I have things to do," she responded, feeling very, very cautious. Why hadn't he latched onto her one mistake? Better yet, what was circulating in that complex mind of his?

"Surely they can wait." He gripped her arm and his grin furthered. Asuka didn't like where this was going. "You need to loosen out little sister. Come and spend the night with your dear big brother."

Obviously, he didn't seem to realise that by saying she had things to do, she was busy.

"I can't," she repeated, frowning. "I'm completely busy tonight."

"Oh, don't worry. It's an all night party."

Convenient.

"I'd be too tired in the morning."

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper. Wanna settle this with a duel?"

"If I do will you stop pestering me?"

"...Fubuki?"

"Actually, no." Asuka surveyed him carefully, wondering what made him change his mind. "You beat me last time. I won't risk it." She arched a brow.

"Then there's no chance I'm going," she forewarned.

He smiled easily at her.

"Of course you are, don't be silly," he chuckled, walking away from her to plonk down on a nearby seat. Asuka groaned and shook her head.

"Fubuki..." she began with a warning tone.

His eyes slipped closed, as though he was ignoring her. Asuka scowled at him, knuckling her hands, before swerving around. She didn't have time for this.

"Oh Asuka!" Fubuki's sing song voice irked and halted her.

"What?" she hissed, composure degrading.

"If you don't come, then I'll tell dad it was you who lost his duel deck."

* * *

"I really hate you sometimes," she said spitefully, narrowing her eyes. Unperturbed, Fubuki grinned toothily at his sister and slung an arm around her.

"C'mon, this'll cheer you up."

"I'm not staying here through the night," she explained to him again, just so it was processed. Fubuki, who was already away and gorging on various foods, nodded in her direction. She sighed for the fourth time.

"Alright Asuka! Now, go and mingle with some boys. Make your big brother proud!"

On cue, a vast menagerie of boys flooded her personal space. A fifth sigh worked its way out of her.

She waded through the ocean of bodies, politely declining their offers (it was becoming increasingly apparent that a minority of the lads weren't so...clean in their requests) until she spotted a familiar face. Relief met her.

"Ryo?" She smiled upon reaching him. "How did my brother get you here?"

"You probably don't want to know," he told her.

"Ok. So, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's easier just to hang back when Fubuki blackmails you into doing something."

"You too?"

"It seems so."

"What is he like?" Asuka chuckled, bringing her palm to her forehead. Ryo gave her a small quirk of his lips, shrugging.

"He's a character all right."

"Hmm. This whole mess started because of me going to him for love advice."

Ryo's brow ascended. Asuka sighed for a 6th time. "Exactly."

"What possessed you to go to him in the first place?"

"I'm not sure..." her brows slanted. "I think I originally went just to vent my frustration."

"Because you know he can listen to rants by not listening?"

"Yeah."

"Listen Asuka, I need to chat to him." Ryo placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I know you don't need any boy trouble, but try and find someone to chat with."

"Can't I come with you?"

"If you want, but if I let you, I wouldn't be a good friend."

"Why?"

"Your brother is as imaginative as ever," he admitted, scratching his head. "I'd stay out of his sensor if I was you."

"Ah." Asuka gave him an understanding smile. "But you don't think I can handle my own brother?"

"I know you can, but I wanna talk to him in private."

"Ok..." her brows threaded together as she brooded, but she managed a smile anyhow. "Have fun..."

He smirked at her.

"Right."

And with that he was gone.

Finding herself alone once more, Asuka felt very awkward. She scanned the room, hoping to find anyone else she knew. Unfortunately, the majority of those attending were her brother's fangirls.

Asuka sighed for the seventh time.

This was all Fubuki's fault.

"I swear when this is done..." she trailed off when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Instinctively she thought it might be Ryo or Fubuki, but something felt different. Panicking a bit, she whirled around, mouth set into an angry thin line, ready to decimate and-

"Are you alright?"

"Johan?" she gasped.

He blanked at her. She reddened a bit and shook her head, feeling great discomfort because his hand hadn't moved.

"Yeah."

"Why are you here?"

He looked hurt at her tone of voice. She blushed harder.

'_In control.'_

"I'm here because your brother said it'd be fun if I came." Asuka's face twisted into a glare. So that was it. "Oh, and," Johan's previous look of hurt was eradicated as his face lit up in jubilance, "the food here is really nice."

She smiled in spite of her brother slaying urges.

"Is it? I might try something."

His face lit up even more, if that was possible.

"Oh! Try the eggbread, it's delicious!"

Asuka's eyes widened and shone.

"They have that here?!"

Johan blinked at her, before his lids drooped and he smirked and her cheekily.

"You like them?"

Crimson whiplashed her face yet again. She seemed to have sighed and blushed too many times today, and she wasn't exactly favoured by it.

"They're alright." She resisted the urge to rub the back of her head out of embarrassment.

Johan smiled.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he questioned, tilting his head in an adorable manner.

Oh yes. Asuka felt exceedingly uncomfortable.

And his hand was still loitering on her shoulder.

"That'd be nice," she said sincerely, squashing the turbulence in her stomach. It felt like she'd drank expired milk or something, but she hadn't.

Fubuki had though.

Numerous times.

"Alright then." Thankfully, his hand finally slipped from its position on her shoulder. Oddly, it also felt cold. Was the air-conditioning on?

"Alright, let's go." Asuka smiled widely and began walking ahead, with a bewildered looking Johan lagging behind.

She paused and threw him a concerned look over her shoulder. He caught it and displayed a large grin.

"It's really hot in here. Wanna go outside after we eat? You might have to drag me though."

So, presumably the air-conditioning wasn't on.

**END PART I**


	2. PART II

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. I never figured I'd like a pairing made of pure crack, but I quite like Judai and Asuka, which is very similar. It's a something part mini story I'm doing, because I think this pairing is cute. Does anyone else like it I wonder? Reviews would be nice : )**

**PART II**

"I'm going to pass out." Johan winced and brought his hand to his forehead, wiping the sweat away. Asuka smiled sympathetically at him.

"Where'd all your energy go?"

"Ah...I spent all of it eating. I'm not bad when it comes to eating, but today I had a lot."

She cocked a brow.

"How does that work?"

"No idea, but I've done nothing else, so that must be it."

"Or you have too much for your body to handle, so you end up feeling exhausted."

"Maybe," he commented, before he grinned cheerily. He reached for her hand again, gripping it tightly. "Why are you so cold?"

Asuka found herself wondering the same thing, until she felt the radiated heat from his hand creep its way up her arm. She frowned. "What's wrong?"

His worried tone snapped her out of her reverie.

"Nothing," she replied, but Johan was wise enough to know she was irritated by something due to the fact her lips were set in a frustrated way. "Let's get going."

"Where to?" He glanced around, noting the numerous glares he received from boys with humour, before his eyes widened.

"What?"

"Is that your brother?" He squinted. "He's waving like a mad man. Do you know what he ate today?"

She followed Johan's befuddled eyes, to be met by a sly Fubuki making sure he made sure everyone focused in on the couple. She narrowed hers.

"Unfortunately, yes. And unfortunately, I highly doubt anything he ate has anything to do with how he's acting." She promptly sighed, turning her head in embarrassment. "So childish."

"My kind of guy!"

"Exactly!" Fubuki had somehow heard them. Both blinked. "I bet we'd make good in-laws."

A tremendous blush spanned across Asuka's face, and her mouth hung open. Johan just looked at him, slightly in awe, slightly terrified.

"Just what are you suggesting?" he questioned.

Fubuki wiggled his brows suggestively.

"Well..."

He was abruptly cut off by a well aimed slap on the head. Johan blanched and blinked at the same time, before laughing and sweatdropping.

"Fubuki, me and Johan are going, alright?"

All the occupants in the room cowered at the demonic aura fluctuating around her. Johan felt very scared when she grabbed him by the arm and practically dragged him away, multiple veins protruding on her face.

Meanwhile, a sniffling Fubuki cradled his sore head. He hadn't seen Asuka act like that in a while; that meant there had been some progress.

"But damn," he mumbled to himself, staring sourly at the floor with a well perfected pout, "why on earth do I have the luck to try and pair her with a boy when she's on her monthly cycle?"

* * *

"That didn't go well," Ryo mused, the faintest lines of amusement lacing his voice.

Fubuki, who hadn't stopped pouting, gave him the same look he'd given the floor.

"You try and do better," he retorted.

"I probably could, but," he paused to smirk, "I have the intelligence to realise not to provoke Asuka like that, or try and force her into a partnership."

"Oh." Fubuki's brows linked. "Is she on her period?"

Ryo's smirk receded.

"Why on earth do you assume she'd tell me such a thing?"

Fubuki opened his mouth to reply, but halted, stood there resembling a fish for a moment, and then closed it again, shrugging casually.

Ryo sighed exasperatedly at him. "I wouldn't try anything else tonight. She seems to like Johan, but you may ruin it if you keep pushing."

"Oh, but I'm her big brother." He grinned proudly. "It's my duty and privilege to nose into her love life."

"And I sympathize with her."

"Oh you're so mean Ryo!"

"Considering everything, I'd say I was pretty polite."

"Well, anyway; I'm gonna keep a monitor on them."

Ryo gave him a warning look.

"Weren't you listening to a thing I-?"

"Look," Fubuki interjected, removing an object from his short pockets. Ryo's eyes widened for a brief moment, before they returned to normal and he regarded it warily.

"Fubuki," he grunted, eyebrows furrowing, "please tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Sorry!" he grinned cheekily. "But it was a lot easier to put a microphone on Johan than Asuka."

"That's low."

"I know, but, listening to their conversations, hearing whatever goes on..." his grin breeched the borders of his cheeks, which would have hurt any one person that wasn't abnormal. "Is one of my many privileges as big brother Fubuki!"

* * *

"I'm sorry." Asuka willed the blush on her pale cheeks to die down. "My brother is so whacky sometimes it's just-"

"Nah, it's quite funny, and it's obvious he cares about you." Johan's smile faltered a bit, and he tilted his head a little, raising one brow and lowering the other. "In a really...Fubuki styled way."

Asuka smiled a bit.

"No need to be so polite. Insults just encourage him anyway." She made a face. "More so than compliments actually."

He chuckled, before interest developed in his eyes.

They took in all the surroundings, it was relaxed.

A lovely stretch of golden brown, the calm ripples of the water nudging the sand each time it came in, the faint linger of well prepared food in the air.

"GEDDOF ME!"

Oh yeah. And that.

"That..." Asuka cringed and dropped her head, flustered, "sounded awfully like my brother."

"Probably was," Johan remarked.

"OH GOSH RYO! YOU'RE SO UNBEARABLEY SELFISH! I MEAN, YOU HAD TO GO AND DISTURB THE ROMANTIC ATMOSHPERE BY TAKING MY FOOD."

Both Johan and Asuka's expressions asked: "What romantic atmosphere?"

Regrettably, Ryo's very sincere apology wasn't heard. They wouldn't have heard it anyway, but Fubuki felt the need to cut him off by ranting in a high pitched voice.

"Is Duel Academia always this lively?" Johan asked her, eyes fixed on the commotion back where they had departed.

Well, it was lively in a lot of senses, but she figured Johan didn't mean the whole 'we-get-a-lot-of-crackpot-bad-guys-challenging-us-here' way.

"It is quite lively." Asuka sighed for the nth time that tiresome night. "My brother just adds an overdose of spice and sugar, which is bad if you have too much."

He gifted her with a toothy grin.

"Imagine if he was my brother. We'd get along great."

"Or you're just stupidly tolerant."

'_Or as stupidly whacky.'_

"Oh! Asuka!" Recollection dawned on Johan's features, as he pulled out something from his pocket. It was eggbread, wrapped in Clingfilm. He positively beamed. "I gathered you liked it, so I brought a few with us. See?"

She completed the arduous feat of ripping her eyes from that delicious looking eggbread.

Surely enough, his pockets were stuffed with them, bulging and fit to burst. She frowned lightly. Why hadn't she noticed that? She was usually more attentive.

'_Maybe because they were the pockets on a certain someone whose face you like gazing at,' _a voice teased her.

She blushed hotly and gritted her teeth, brow twitching.

It was just mad. Her brother had infected her with something, and now she had concocted a voice inside her head.

'_No dear, I've always been here. I'm afraid everyone has one. I've just been sleeping because you and the whole 'I live to love duelling' thing made me sleepy. Honestly, any normal girl would have had their inner voice knackered.'_

"A...suka? You alright?" His green eyes were flooded with so much genuine concern.

She smiled weakly and took the eggbread, thanking him.

...Ah, he was stupidly whacky.

Her smile wobbled and furthered of its own accord.

...And stupidly sweet.

* * *

"Fubuki, I will not talk to you when you're a raging drunk."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? You're justa chicken! A big chicken you won't fight me because I'll win an'-" Fubuki's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he plummeted downwards.

Ryo watched him impassively.

"At least I can stand on my own two legs."

"I heard that!" an indignant and muffled response came from below. Ryo arched a brow.

"Still awake? It seems it isn't my day." He frowned dismissively. "You drag me into the middle of something you should have stayed of yourself, and then to rub it in you go and get yourself drunk because you know I'll have to take you back."

A manic laughter resounded.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss! You've figured out my plans! Pretty evil, eh?"

Ryo rolled his eyes.

Needless to say, the music had stopped and everyone was gawping retardedly at the unfolding drama.

The unfolding humorous drama.

"Fubuki, you're a nutcase, but you're even worse when you're drunk. Asuka is going to murder you when she finds out what you've done."

Fubuki's tough and devious facade broke within a second of Ryo's words.

"Noooooooooooo!" he wailed, suddenly up on his knees faster than the speed of light and clutching Ryo's legs. "Don't rat me out! Don't you want your loveable friend Fubuki around anymore?!"

He smirked again.

"Well..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He began to scramble to his full height, using an increasingly hostile Ryo as leverage. "DOOOOONNNNNNN'TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Ryo sighted the looks of the people observing the scene and inwardly growled, before taking Fubuki by the scruff of the neck.

"Look, if I don't say anything, will you go crawl into a corner and stay there until you're sober?"

Fubuki opened his mouth, but stopped again, in a similar fashion to earlier.

Obviously, it wasn't rocket science to where this was going.

...Well, it may have been for Fubuki, but...

"Be specific," Fubuki chastised in a slurred voice, eyelids slipping to half closed. "Which corner?"

* * *

"Well, it's been a long night." Asuka felt considerably warmer than she had earlier, her face in particular.

"Yeah. It's been fun Asuka!" Johan grinned at her again and suddenly sprung at her.

She made a small 'eep' sound as he chucked his arms around and choked her in a bear hug.

"J...oh...an!" she rasped, colour hastily fleeing from her face.

"Oh!" He pulled back, but rested his hands on her shoulders, not at all embarrassed he had just crushed a girl in a massive hug. "Sorry, I'm just gonna miss you! Tonight was real fun!" He automatically looked around. "Your brother loitering? I wanna give him a goodbye hug too."

Decidedly at great discomfort, Asuka shuffled away, and he didn't seem to realise his hands were now resting on air.

"I don't know. After all that happened a while ago, I don't want to know." Her brows burrowed. "I'm pretty sure he can find his own way back, and I'm sure Ryo will look after him..."

Then, the realisation of what he had so easily mentioned struck her. "Wait, you're going so soon?" she queried, struggling to keep her voice from reaching a higher decibel.

"Yeah, gotta go back to the North Academy."

Asuka, feeling very strange, found that the light hearted talking between had just been crippled by his announcement.

"Ah...I...see..." She made an effort to look anywhere but him, sadness evident on her face. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Johan's relatively cheery expression was dampened when he saw her face.

"Ah..." He wasn't Judai. He was aware she was upset because he was going so soon after they had spent the whole night chatting. The only thing he could do was handle the situation tactfully. "Do you want me to stay?"

Or bluntly.

Either worked.

Asuka blinked and still refused to meet his piercing eyes.

"...Yes..." she said carefully. "It would be nice if you...stayed."

He stared at her intently, a look of deep thought gracing his features.

Anxiety attacked her nerves as she stood there, watching him with the very same intensity. She felt woozy and a headache loomed-she just didn't know if it was from tiredness, Johan or her brother's obviously drunken shrill voice.

"Maybe I could..." He bit his lower lip, placing his eyes on the sky. Evening was turning to dark and orange was melding with black while clouds were vanishing to make room for the stars.

"You don't have to if it's troublesome," she blurted out.

Johan blanked momentarily, before he gazed at her, irises shining naughtily.

"But what if I want to be a rebel? What if I want to stay even if I can't?"

She, with her brain knocked asunder, gawked at him. He grinned widely at her reaction. "You know what? I'm going to check and see if I can stay."

She continued to gawk at him, before the words made sense in her mind.

Blushing a bit at her foolish expression a second ago, she thanked whoever was watching over her it was dark.

And then remembered it was probably them who got her into this mess.

"Ah, ok." She smiled. "That's good. I guess I'll...see you later."

"Right!" He winked at her. "I'll be around in the morning, so if I can't stay," he felt bad when her happy demeanour faltered a tad, "then we can say goodbye properly. Now, if I do stay..." To Asuka's absolute amazement, her sharp eyes detected crimson across his face. "...Then your hug was a bit early, so, urh..."

Normally if a boy had just randomly hugged her, she wouldn't have been amused, but seeing an impish Johan there with his blush and shuffling feet, she felt her heart warm.

"It's alright. I don't mind hugs."

Well, actually, that was a fib.

She didn't accept hugs from boys most of the time.

...He was just becoming an increasingly cute exception.

...And an annoying one, because she was never one to think a boy cute and add it into a sentence about her not liking boys' hugs.

"Ok then." He smiled at her one last time. "I'll see you later then!" With that he waved and energetically sprinted away.

She gazed on after him, half smiling, before turning the other way and setting off to her dorm, feeling oddly content.

...Until she found what seemed to be a half dead Fubuki on her bed.

**END PART II**


	3. PART III

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. I never figured I'd like a pairing made of pure crack, but I quite like Judai and Asuka, which is very similar. It's a something part mini story I'm doing, because I think this pairing is cute. Does anyone else like it I wonder? Reviews would be nice : ) **

**On another note, when you've finished this...**

"Urh," was the first coherent thing out of Fubuki as he awoke. The sun snickered when it found the man moaning in the affects of a hangover. It took special note of Fubuki's obvious dislike for it shining in his eyes, so it made sure it invaded them.

As for the zany duelist himself, he wasn't sure what to do. All he remembered about last night was Johan, Asuka, Ryo, which corner? and a very, very angry blonde rousing him from the confines of dreamland.

He hadn't appreciated the interruption, and in the haze of drunkeness, he thought it was perfectly fine to pointedly tell the person who was glaring at him with murderous intent that "I was having a nice dream! Lotsa girls...then you ruined it. I hope you apolo-"

Then he'd been knocked asunder by something small, curled and blue.

Asuka's hand, but he didn't know that yet.

"Guh!" he alerted the world, crawling out of his bed. His head was spinning and throbbing, and his beautiful face hurt. It seemed whoever had pwned him had quite the strong hit.

"I can't take this! Ryooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" he slurred.

On cue, the tall man who was visiting the academy appeared, not finding the need to disguise his smirk.

Fubuki really wasn't happy with today.

"What's with your mouth! Why don't you try smiling like a nice person! It's either a scowl or a smirk with you, and neither is particularly warm!"

This did one of two things.

It had the reverse affect of its request, but it did prove Fubuki right. Ryo's mouth immediately curved downwards, and his eyes narrowed.

Obviously, in consequence, Ryo was unhappy, and he figured out despite his state he was going to be roughly handled.

His face was ruined. As long as no one hit below the belt, he'd live. After all, when he was famous, he'd splash money on a redo. Though, in his opinion, technology could never perfectly restore the face that was Tenjoin Fubuki.

Which was currently quite heavily pressing against the ground. Its occupation was a resting stool for Marufuji Ryo's foot.

* * *

"Oh, so it was Asuka who completely owned me. Geez, there goes my pride. Of all the girls to knock out I, Tenjoin Fubuki, it's my little, sweet, calm sister..."

"Who when provoked is a demon," Ryo said.

"No need to remind me...or my face," he sniffed, rubbing his left cheek.

His companion chose not to reply verbally and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Ryo, you're not usually too violent, unless you're Hell Kaiser'd...which you weren't this morning, were you? That would explain a lot..."

"Actually, I'm just Marufuji Ryo, and if I, along with the rest of the Academy do not get sleep, get quite cranky. If I was...'Hell Kaiser'd' as you put it, I would have suffocated you with my foot and stamped on your chest. I may have possibly searched for a weapon, but by then I may have had a heart attack. Too much STRAIN," he grumbled, looking sternly at Fubuki.

Oblivious (or politely choosing to decline Ryo's hintings) the Blizzard Prince blinked.

"Why didn't Duel Academy get enough sleep?"

"Why do you think your fangirls are squealing and glaring at you?"

Fubuki paused and scanned the area. Certainly under the sun of early morning, some girls' eyes were trained on him, but there was irritation.

Despair was left in this revelation's wake.

"NO! Why are my girls so depressed?!"

"Well, someone's sleep blubbering was so loud we had no sleep."

Fubuki tried to process this information, and finally he understood.

"Ha, does Asuka still cry in her sleep about that card she burnt?"

"...No, she doesn't. Look, after Asuka knock...helped you to relax, she toss...gave you to me and I flung...gently placed you back on your own bed..."

"How did I wind up in Asuka's bed in the first place?"

Ryo made slight coughing noises.

"Well..."

_"Johaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! Johaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! Where for art thou noble cowboy?!"_

_The...cowboy blinked, vaguely recognizing the voice. And then he was stumped, combing fingers through his wild blue spikes._

_"Cowboy?" he wondered aloud,_

_"Fubuki, I advise you go back to sleep before I get Asuka again..."_

_"HA! Like she-"_

_"Brother!"_

_"GAH! IT'S HER! RYO, I'M SCARED! PROTECT ME WITH THE SECURITY OF YOUR EMBRACE!"_

_"What the...?! Fubuki, get off me before I do something VERY awkward to your arms."_

_Johan giggled, moving closer so he could eavesdrop on the conversation. It was dark, and he couldn't see too much, but he knew the people by their outlines._

_"Brother, I thought I knocked you out."_

_"You did! Just because you wanted to have some alcohol!"_

_"Excuse me? I was heading for bed, but then decided against it so I could check on you, and the first thing that greeted me when I came was you and your flailing arms."_

_"YOU TRIED TO STEAL MY ALCOHOL!"_

_"What alcohol?! You were salivating on the egg bread I was eating!"_

_Johan blanked, before a grin bloomed on his face. He'd given her that eggbread, and it had lead to so much fun!_

_"Look you two, I think-"_

_"OH MY GOD RYO! HERE YOU GO AGAIN! BUTTING IN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE TORMENT I'VE BEEN CONCEALING?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MY SOUL DEFLATED AND SHRIVELLED AND RESEMBLED PROFESSOR CHRONOS' SKIN?"_

_"...Brother, I don't think ANY of us want to know. Now..." Asuka made a slight movement, and Johan noted she had clamped her hands on her brother's arms._

_He took this as harassment, and then, he recalled Ryo was touching him._

_The only things he didn't seem to remember was that neither Ryo or Asuka would actually kill him, and that he was attached to Ryo because he had wanted the 'security of his embrace'._

_"AH! YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GANG UP ON ME! I-"_

_Fubuki fell to the ground again, his soft snores starting._

_Johan heard two exasperated sighs, which were perfectly in sync with one another._

_Had they had a lot of practice doing that? It was kinda creepy._

_"Shall we leave him?" Ryo ventured, turning somewhat so Asuka could see his eyes._

_Or, attempt to see them, which she could not in the darkness, but she knew what he was getting at._

_She gave a brief nod._

_"I'm sure someone will spare his soul. Or..." She shrugged. "The sand on the beach is soft enough."_

_As the two figures walked away, there was a noise._

_A dull thud, indicating something had dropped into the sand sounded._

_Asuka and Ryo halted, confusion gracing their features._

_"Did you drop something?" she queried. "Because I have nothing."_

_"Oh...yes." In particular, this something was FUBUKI'S, and Asuka would not be amused if she saw it. "I'll get it."_

_He crouched down on one knee, waited, and then his eyes flitted upwards to view Asuka waiting patiently, arms crossed._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I'm gonna be a while. I can't see," he explained, beginning to spread his fingers along the sand._

_"Ah." His sharp ears detected the shifting of sand as knees nudged their way along._

_"Asuka, you should go and get some rest," he advised, heart pace picking up a notch when he felt her next to him. What if she...? Oh God, his heart couldn't handle this now. Stupid Fubuki._

_Her laughter, which Johan considered vibrant, sincere and melodious, filled the night air._

_"Oh, I think I can live a little longer."_

_"No...you need rest."_

_"Any reason?"_

_"As Johan's leaving early. You don't wanna miss him right?"_

_Johan suddenly felt quite glum, and then felt even worse when Asuka's greyish amber eyes swung down to the ground._

_"Ah...um, Ryo? How do you know?"_

_"He told me."_

_"Ok..."_

_Johan blinked._

_He didn't even remember speaking to Ryo._

_"Asuka, get some sleep."_

_"Johan said he would try and stay longer."_

_"Don't get your hopes up," Ryo countered bluntly. He felt a tad guilty when her eyes wavered with emotion, but he had enough sense to know that the feeling of utter pain he would endure if Asuka's hands grabbed that book would be far too much in terms of compensation._

_"Right...sorry Ryo."_

_"You don't need to apologize for anything. Just get some rest Asuka," he said in a softer tone._

_She sighed again, and with a short nod rose to her feet. She dusted the sand off of herself and bid Ryu farewell._

_It didn't take long for him to find it, but much to his chagrin, he found Asuka loitering around the beach, and perhaps sulking, which was not her style._

_Feeling a dash of regret, he made his way towards her. However, before he reached her and talked to her, he glimpsed a shock of blue._

_When he turned, he saw Johan standing over an unconscious Fubuki, smiling._

_"Aww, you fainted. Don't worry Fubuki, I'm sure they're gonna come back. But...hey, I'll take you to Asuka's room. She told me it was open when I asked why tons of boys were lurking around the Obelisk Blue area. I'm sure she'll take care of you!"_

_And with that, he hoisted the man onto his back, and, with a grunt, began his trek to Obelisk Blue. He was pretty sure Momo and Junko would allow Fubuki in. _

_That guy was sure naive...and Ryo was restraining his laughter._

_Seeing Asuka glancing his way expectantly, his slow steps turned into brisk ones._

_A little chit-chat to stall wouldn't hurt, would it?_

"You scheming bully. And geez, Asuka knocked me out twice? Damn, no wonder my face is so mutilated. Why does she and her impeccable aim always go there?"

"Because internal pain is as fun as physical pain," Ryu taunted.

"Hmm. Well, anyways, we have to get everything back together."

"_We_?" Ryo asked incredulously.

Fubuki surveyed him, brow arched as if saying 'Of course. What's with that tone? Are you craaaaaaaaaazy?'

He would be soon.

Nearly as much as-

No, no.

NO ONE could ever be as crazy as Tenjoin Fubuki.

* * *

It was morning.

To Asuka, that meant a number of things.

It meant she would have to wake up, which she wasn't sure she wanted to, considering there was only a fifty fifty chance of him staying longer.

Why did it hurt so much though?

_'Look,'_ she chided herself, _'stop acting like this before your heart gives out from the pain. It's only Johan...and besides, I'll see him again...'_

Her heart thudded painfully against her chest, and a swarm of something uncomfortable raced about in her stomach.

_'In...'_

"Awhile," she said, finishing her mind's thoughts aloud.

She sighed heavily, squinting up towards the sun.

Asuka inhaled deeply and then exhaled, repeating a few times.

She could just not get over this boy did to her.

"God, I've never..."

"Asuka!"

She was jolted out of her musings by a very familiar and both wanted and undesired voice.

Her poor heart constricted and assaulted her ribcage even harder.

She groaned inwardly and placed a hand against her chest, hoping to calm it.

Laughter rang in the air.

"Hey, are you playing drums behind my back?"

Oh God, it was THAT LOUD?

"I've never been too good at music," Asuka confessed, hoping that would end the subject.

Johan's cheery expression faltered a bit, before his facial features relaxed into his normal expression.

"I bet you had an eventful evening after you left me," Johan said suggestively.

Asuka frowned and shook her head.

_'Yup. Fubuki trying to eat something I was eating, hitting him, thinking of you, yelling, hitting Fubuki again, talking with Ryo...hearing strange things...staying up due to agonizing thoughts of...'_

"Nothing much happened," she replied, absolutely contradicting her thoughts.

Luckily, she could not see the grin that said Johan knew she was lying through her rather nice teeth. Sure, he hadn't gazed at them, but they were healthly and white.

"So..." She had to know now. "I...you...what did they...?"

Her heart starting playing as drums once again, her blood boiling in response, head swimming.

His hands were pocketed.

Her heart was relentless.

"Ah. I..." His voice was utterly calm.

Her heart sped and sped-

"I must go."

"A-ah."

And stopped.

**END PART III**


	4. PART IV

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. I never figured I'd like a pairing made of pure crack, but I quite like Judai and Asuka, which is very similar. It's a something part mini story I'm doing, because I think this pairing is cute. Does anyone else like it I wonder? Reviews would be nice : ) **

**I've been wondering...there's an impulse I have to end this story on a sad note, but you guys probably wouldn't be too happy, so...I'm not sure.**

"Asuka, this really isn't like you."

"I'm ill..."

"No you're not, you're sulking." The humor in his tone was all too apparent. Bugger wasn't even the least bit sympathetic.

"I am not. I do NOT sulk."

"You sulked when mum ate your cookie."

"I was five!"

"And monstrous, Geez, I cracked a small joke and I got beaten to death."

"Fubuki, I am really sick..."

"Well, ya." Asuka frowned deeply at the accusing touches to his voice. "LOVE sick."

The dirty blond blinked, before she drew her brows together and blushed heatedly. Even if Fubuki couldn't see her face, he knew by the way her back muscles tensed up she was blushing, and she knew he knew, much to her chagrin.

"In your dreams brother."

"Hell yes. I've been dreaming about your wedding day. I wake up wondering whether or not to tell Johan about your mean left hook, or what you're gonna wear-"

"What does Johan have to do with my wedding day?"

He blanked in response. A sour Asuka needed cheering up, and, with no trouble picturing her brother's expression, she inwardly giggled.

"He's your groom, unless you're gonna leave him a jilted bride."

And of course, she stopped giggling, due to the fact Johan had been referred to as a bride, and that her brother assumed she was going to be marrying him. Heck, if she professed her love to the very tree she was hiding on, he'd hug it hard and proclaim it his brother-in-law.

"Fubuki, maybe the reason you're dreaming about Johan so much is because YOU'RE the one in love with him!" Asuka countered.

She sat there, basking in the gentle rays of early morning sun, content with the steady breeze brushing over her face.

Well, she was quite alright perched onto that branch, until she began growing increasingly concerned. Where was Fubuki's comeback?

She shimmied around on the branch until she could look down upon her brother. His eyes did not meet hers, for they were stuck on the grass.

"Brother...?" she chanced.

"Asuka," he breathed.

She shivered at his voice. It was so despondent...

"I've tried..." He shook his head repeatedly and fisted his knuckles, continuing, voice becoming more and more hoarse. "I've tried to hide my feelings, crush them down into nothing for your happiness, but I..."

"Brother," Asuka whispered, any irritation present wavering as she watched her brother kneel, hands covering his face.

"I've tried..."

Then he began sobbing.

Asuka's heart leapt painfully, and she nearly toppled off the branch as she toppled forward.

"Brother, I'm so sorry! I really thought I was wrong! You can have Johan! I just want to you to be happy!"

Silence ensued again, until Fubuki's face rose, a hint of annoyance and disbelief appearing.

"Damn it Asuka! You're meant to laugh in my face and say I'm too late because Johan is yours!"

Feeling exceedingly foolish (though, she had to admit, his acting skills were top notch. God knows where he'd acquired his new talent, however) Asuka gave him a murderous glare, which caused him to smile sheepishly.

She was considering lobbing a small branch at him, until the branch she was currently occupying thought it'd lend a hand by breaking.

* * *

"Screw surgery. Nothing's ever gonna fix my face!"

Ryo and Asuka flinched at Fubuki's screech. Ryo gave Asuka a look and the girl laughed nervously. She really hadn't intended for the branch to break and give her, and her brother, the shock of their lives. Heck, she'd come out of it with a racing heart and a few bumps, but otherwise she was unscathed.

Her lovely actor of a brother was not as lucky.

Which was why he was currently whining as he scowled at the mirror attached to the ceiling, which was conveniently placed, seeing as it was probably the most interesting thing to stare at in the room.

"Fubuki...how long did they say it would be before you were up and annoying everyone?" she queried.

The aforementioned made a 'hmm-ing' noise as he scanned the room, distaste lighting his features every second.

"That scary nurse with that mole on her eyebrow said I'd be in here for two weeks."

"She also said she'd be your caretaker, right?" Ryo reminded Fubuki. He smirked with satisfaction as the boy's head dropped.

"C'mon brother, looks aren't everything."

"Her voice blinds me more than her face," he admitted.

Ryo gave him a flabbergasted look.

"How does that work?"

"Well..."

"Boy, girl!"

Ryo and Asuka snapped to attention at the voice and Fubuki allowed a little yelp out, seeking comfort under the covers. However, he forgot he couldn't move without sending ripples of pain down his body, so when he tried to dive under his flimsy covers, the searing sensation that surged up his spinal cord said no.

Standing by the door was Fubuki's nightmare, Mrs. Fuji Keiko.

And the very short doctor who had announced Fubuki was stuck with her for two weeks, Mr. Fuji Hao.

Fubuki inwardly howled, while a sweatdropping Asuka and stoic Ryo merely glanced at the pair.

"Visiting hours are over," Keiko said in a warning tone. Asuka, sensing that retaliating would not be bad, no matter how guilty she felt concerning her brother, grabbed Ryo's hand and made a run for it.

They were barely out when they heard Fubuki's call of "You two traitors! Don't leave me in here with this-AH! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! MR. FUJI, PLEASE STOP YOUR HUSBAND!"

* * *

"He called Mrs. Fuji a husband? Wow, your brother is gutsy!" Johan said, awed.

He swore he heard Asuka sigh exasperatedly, and the snort of a deep male voice.

"Yeah, though I wouldn't call his idiocy bravery..."

"In fact, we could just settle for idiocy," the deep male voice sounded again.

This time, Johan recognized it, and became very excited.

"Oh Ryo! How are you! It's been a while!"

"...You saw me earlier this morning," the less than eager response followed. Johan's face fell briefly, and he heard some noises of an annoyed female scolding Ryo off, before the said voice calmed down and talked to him.

"Ignore him Johan. He's just upset my brother is out of comission."

"Right. My soul has been ruptured."

"Gosh, that doesn't sound good Ryo!" Johan grinned.

"Asuka, tell Johan to stop spending so much time with Judai."

The blue head blinked. "And what exactly is wrong with that?"

"Nothing, unless you're ok with catching retardedness."

"Retard-"

"Anyways," Asuka cut in firmly, knowing that if she did not intervene the conversation would go on for more than eternity, "how's the boat ride back to your Academy?"

"Oh, it's great!" Johan chimed, completely forgetting his pursuit of an answer. "The food's a little bad, and there's no eggbread...you can relate, right?" He winked at her, feeling he was being inconspicuous. Asuka flushed a bit and Ryo smirked. "But other than that, it's really nice!"

"That's good to know. How much longer before you reach it?"

"I dunno. A few hours. By the way, what happened to Fubuki?"

Asuka sighed, hoping she had evaded giving an explanation.

"Well..."

Ryo stayed to one side and watched as Asuka relayed what had happened to Johan over the small device in her hand. He observed Johan's varied expressions, almost like the North Academy duelist was listening to an engrossing tale of love, money and adventure.

"And, I think Mrs. Fuji decked him for that comment," Asuka finished.

"Hee! I take it he'll be in there longer than two weeks!" Johan explained.

"No kidding," Ryo commented from the background. "At the rate the twit is going at, Asuka won't have a brother in the end."

"Oh no! That's terrible!" Humor was apparent in his voice. He was quite adept at acting. Fubuki had given him pointers.

"Ah..." Asuka sweatdropped, smiling down at the face of a panicking Johan on the small screen. "I'm sure she won't go as far as murder. That won't do well for her career."

"Yeah! And he's got his fangirls to protect him, right?" Johan asked hopefully.

"Yeah. They're great at multitasking. Screaming _and _clawing."

"Enough with the snark you," Asuka said in a mock angry voice. Ryo smirked, and Johan's eyes widened.

"Oh geez Asuka. You sound ticked. Listen, I gotta go. I'll see ya later and stuff."

"Huh? But-"

"See ya!"

And his sweatdropping face disappeared as the screen went dead.

"He's learning I see," Ryo said smugly.

Asuka shot him a look.

* * *

After Fubuki had realised it was better to shut his yap than to fight, he had found the relaxing presence of his only slightly swollen face in the mirror and morning sunlight nice. The sheets that he was under were flimsy and thin, but they were soft to the touch. Nearly as soft as his face.

"I guess two weeks of this isn't bad."

"Actually," his roomate corrected from the other bed, "you're probably gonna be in here for a few months."

He made a face, eyeing the other person, before he placed his eyes back on the mirror, smiling slightly.

"I can deal."

Needless to say, Fubuki was not aware after an hour more or so, he would get fed up at staring constantly at his face, no matter how beautiful.

"Tenjoin Fubuki! Time for your check-up!"

And Mrs. Fuji Keiko didn't exactly help matters, as when her sessions began, time seemed to slow down instead of speed up.

"Brother, as hurt as you are, I suggest you get that look off your face before you provoke me to damage it more," Asuka grumbled, twitching.

"Oh but Asuka! In spite of me being in hospital, one good thing has come out of this!"

"The thing you're in spite of, right?"

"Asuka sister! You wound me! Ryo really isn't a good influence to my baby sister."

"Fubuki, whatever you're plotting-"

"Brother, I'm so sorry! I really thought I was wrong! You can have Johan! I just want to you to be happy!" he suddenly exclaimed in a higher tone.

Asuka blanched.

"What?"

"Those words...you said them earlier," he told her cheekily.

She blinked.

"What's your point?" she asked.

"Think about it."

She frowned gingerly, but obliged, eyes drifting upwards as she tried to spot his motive for being so cocky.

Then it hit her.

Nearly as bad as the red erupting on her face.

Fubuki's inner self was doing back flips in joy.

"I-It's not like I was making a claim on Johan, it's just..."

"You screwed up and now big brother knows you want Johan!" Fubuki stated cheerily, straining to sit up.

Asuka reddened further.

"It isn't like that! I just thought that..."

"Yes, yes?!" he prompted, knowing he had finally found a loophole in her "I only love duelling" claim.

"I-"

"Miss Asuka? Are you here visiting your brother when I told you NOT to?"

"I have to go Fubuki! I'll come back tomorrow!" And with that, a profuesly sweating duellist ran as fast as she could.

Fubuki slumped and pounded his knee with his fist.

"Damn!"

His knee replied to the assault.

"Ouch!"

* * *

"How on earth did I get roped into this again?"

"Because," Fubuki hissed, peering out of the window, "if you don't tell me I'll tell everyone your secret!"

"Fubuki, I swear if you even consider it-"

Not paying heed to Ryo's very convincing and genuine threats, Fubuki let out a yawn and gently lowered himself onto his back. Having his bed pressing against a wall by a window was turning out to be more of an aid than he had first presumed.

The boy on the grass outside bristled.

He wondered if he could somehow sneak into Fubuki's room and condemn him to a night of hell.

_'Why not just confess to Asuka?'_

"No," he argued with his thoughts. "I'd rather deal with Fubuki than Asuka in a bad mood."

"Exactly!" a voice interrupted, followed by laughter.

Ryo hung his head and conceded defeat.

It was going to be a torturous week, but what could he do besides put Fubuki's ridiculous schemes into action?

**End Part IV**


	5. PART V

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. I never figured I'd like a pairing made of pure crack, but I quite like Judai and Asuka, which is very similar. It's a something part mini story I'm doing, because I think this pairing is cute. Does anyone else like it I wonder? Reviews would be nice and speed the story updates up because I am sometimes cheap like that ; p **

**I've been wondering...there's an impulse I have to end this story on a sad note, but you guys probably wouldn't be too happy, so...I'm not sure.**

**And, Jellyfish, Johan is European? How cool is that. I suppose it makes sense, seeing as his name isn't vaguely Japanese, and he's got a different look to him compared to the other characters. (Foreign Judai D)**

**Also, there's a reference to Asuka's strength in this chapter. I think she has a good deal, considering she picked Judai up with one arm.**

"Ok! We'll meet there in a few days! I'll make sure to bring you some eggbread!"

Asuka reddened at this promise, trying to ignore the smirking Ryo and her giggling friends. Johan noticed her face and his broke into a smile. "Aww, c'mon! What's so embarrassing about liking eggbread?"

"Ah...Johan, I really need to go now," Asuka confessed, her elation at meeting up with him shortlived as humiliation loomed over her. "I'll see you in a few days, ok?"

His expression fell a bit at her abrupt leave, but he consoled himself with thoughts of seeing her and everyone soon.

"Ok. Give Fubuki my best!" And with that he was gone.

Asuka sighed heavily and pocketed the electronic device. She jerked slightly when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Angling her head, she noticed it belonged to Ryu, and apparently an irritated look did too.

"Have Junko and Momo been crushing your arms from all the clinging?" she joked, smiling faintly when his brow twitched.

"Hey!" the two chorused in protest. "Are you saying Ryo's arms aren't manly enough to take our clutching?!"

"Asuka," he said in a low voice, "why have you dragged me into this?"

She sweatdropped and felt her body temperature rise a few degrees.

"What's wrong with meeting up with Johan?" she countered. "He's a nice guy and wants to see everyone again. Besides, you don't dislike him."

"Nor do I particularly _like _him." He tilted his head and frowned at the ceiling. "Why can't you bring Judai?"

And for one of the first times, the Obelisk Queen was lost.

"I..."

"Because Judai can't devise a strategy to help her get Johan!" Junko piped up from the sidelines, grinning cheerily as crimson exploded on Asuka's face.

"Honestly!" Asuka chided, paying no heed to her burning face. Of course, she found it rather hard to dismiss her rapidly beating heart, which seemed to be saying 'You can't forget about me' considering its constant assault against her ribcage. "You two should stop coming up with such things!"

"The truth will set you free Asuka!" Momoe declared.

The two females latched onto each other and began to bend their knees, collapsing in a fit of hysterics as Asuka's fist curled. The red on her face had gone from her face to her eyes, which, Ryo conceded, would scare Momoe and Junko shitless when they saw it.

Sensing the hostility in the room, Ryo decided to save Junko and Momoe, despite the fact he found them irritating. He was only stepping in because no one should face a riled up Tenjoin Asuka. He and Fubuki knew that for a fact (regardless of the fact Fubuki kept on riling her up, labelling it as brother sister bonding as he lay with his face planted on the floor and Asuka stormed off somewhere).

Luckily, Asuka remembered it would not be ideal to stain her pristine record with murder, so with a big inhale, she had calmed down. Of course, she fired the two a glower before rolling her eyes and leaving the area.

"Hey, Ryo," Junko began, "are you gonna try getting Johan and Asuka together?"

The aforementioned rolled his eyes. He was actually pretty convinced Asuka had started rolling her eyes because she was around him too much.

"Of course not," he muttered, beginning to leave the two after Asuka.

They made various faces at his back, forgetting that two minutes ago they had been worshipping him. He inwardly snorted at their immaturity, before a grim smirk curved his lips.

_'It's not about trying. I HAVE to get them together, otherwise...'_

His train of thought was promptly cut off when something small and blue bumped into him.

* * *

"Fubuki, I'm not going to come and see you next time a branch lands you in hospital if you keep this up," a disgruntled girl growled.

He blinked innocently at his sister, before he reared back in indignation. Of course, he was quite the amnesiac patient, due to the fact the pain in all of his back had to keep on reminding him it HURT to move so much.

"What? Why do you seem so convinced I'm going to land back in hospital via falling branches?"

She gave him a blank look, which clearly said 'Do I really need to answer that?'

He fell back against the bed and agreed with her look. He was just THAT talented.

"Anyways, I'm serious. Stop with plotting and accusations. AND," Asuka's brows drew together a bit, and he had an inkling he was stuffed, "what have you done to Ryu?"

Fubuki's back muscles tightened, and his eyes widened.

OHSHIT.

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to strengthen his voice.

It didn't come out squeaky, but it wasn't exactly manly either.

He shrunk when Asuka cast her eyes on him and gave him THE LOOK.

Under her piercing, unwavering stare, he found himself cracking.

Why him? Why did she have to bring this up when he was in a hospital and unable to defend himself?

"What I mean is that he's been more frigid than usual, more opposed to things, having SECRET conversations with you...I think it's obvious you've blackmailed him into doing things..."

He sweatdropped and got even smaller when her eyes narrowed. He was hoping she'd give him one more glare that would make him so small he could scuttle away. Of course, acknowledging that there was a chance of him being SCARED to death, that option was becoming less and less appealing. "And you're going to tell me what you're making Ryo do, right?" She said in that same steady, cool voice she had been using since the topic arose.

"I don't understand." Thank God for his acting skills. Obviously, it wasn't a sin to be as great as Tenjoin Fubuki. "You come here telling me not to make accusations, AND THEN you accuse me?!"

She narrowed her gaze even further, if that was possible.

It probably wasn't, but Fubuki could care less thanks to the fear that rushed up and along his veins.

"Fubuki, I am really not in the mood for you games today. You'd best tell me what's going on."

_'Ok, ok. Stay calm. Don't fall into her tra-AHH! HER EYES ARE-NO! I must...ok, chilled...'_

"What can I tell you when there's nothing to say?" he retaliated quite cockily.

_'Oh ya! Go me!'_

His inner mind's triumph parade was cut short when immediately Asuka lost her scary look. A sugary, oh so sweet smile popped up on her face.

Fubuki was taken aback, but he felt multiple sensations squirming in his stomach when he recognized Asuka's 'oh ho ho' smile.

"Mrs. Fuji! I think my brother needs a backrub!" she said in the utmost concerned voice he had ever heard.

* * *

"How long are you going away big brother?" Sho inquired, feeling quite upset Ryo was going. The previous Obelisk King gave a long sigh, before turning his gaze to Sho.

"About a week."

_'Please don't get upset,' _he pleaded to himself, _'I really don't know how to comfort people.'_

"Ah."

He frowned a bit when Sho's face scrunched up. It seemed the bugger who had heard his plea wouldn't be satisfying it. However, within a few moments, the azure headed boy was locked on to his older brother's eyes, smiling. "You're gonna spend time with me when you get back, right?"

His usually stoic expression faltered a tad.

How was he going to respond to that?

"Sure. I'm pretty sure we'll be spending lots of time together, seeing as I have nothing to do and the school will never ever let Asuka take another leave of absence."

Oh, ok. Like that.

Sho beamed.

"Ok big brother. But..." Anxiousness crept onto Sho's face, and Ryo's brow rose. "...Fubuki said you were going to get Johan and Asuka together. Won't that require a bit more than a week?"

Ryo twitched.

He was going to slaughter Fubuki, if Asuka had not already beaten him to it.

* * *

"Asuka, you're not spending anymore time with Ryo! He's such a bad-OW!"

"You should have just caved in," she explained, crossing her arms as Fubuki's palm tentatively spread across his shoulderblades.

Bad move.

"OUCH!"

Asuka felt sympathy tug at her heart strings and guilt stir in her stomach, though neither should be there. It was just because her darned brother had the ability to look like a kicked puppy whenever he was in pain.

"Hey," she said in a softer tone, compared to the tones she had been addressing him with prior, "do you want me to give you a proper back massage?"

He eyed her warily.

"You won't crush me with your amazing strength, will you?" he asked.

She exhaled a breath she didn't remember taking.

"No, but I will sooth the pain with my non-ill intentioned palms," she offered weakly.

Fubuki blinked, before he began laughing.

Asuka looked puzzled. Had his time in here made him lose it already?

"You're worryingly good at being corny. Sure you don't wanna come into a singing business with me? You've got a beautiful voice Asuka."

She blushed a bit at the compliment, before she smiled at his comment.

"Are you sure you should be revoking my privlledges to see Ryo? Cause you seem more concerned about the corniness you've rubbed off on me than Ryo's temper. Does that mean I can get a restraining order towards you?"

He grinned at her.

"I'm that corny? Wow, I'm gonna be a billionaire when I'm older."

She sweatdropped at his logic, before her smile saddened.

"Hey, I won't be able to see you before I go after this visit, and then there's a whole week, so...do you want that massage?"

She perked up when he smiled serenly. Despite him being a nut job, she did love him very much.

"Aww Asuka. You're so sweet. Wanna make big brother happy? Then marry Johan!"

And of course, she never did forget that her deep love for him vanished completely at alarmingly frequent rates.

* * *

"Can you believe Asuka just left without giving me a backrub?" Fubuki said, sulking and pouting. "She even had the audacity to glare."

Ryo gave him a bored look.

"You should just be lucky she didn't jump on your back."

"What do you mean?"

"Why was she so angry at you anyhow?" Ryo probed.

Fubuki felt very uncomfortable again.

"She had...suspicions..."

Alarm bells went off.

"...So, Asuka finds out within no time at all, AND I find Sho knows of my task..."

He stared at Fubuki in a similar way to Asuka earlier, except on his face was tamed anger as opposed to warning seriousness.

Fubuki sweatdropped.

"Oh! Well, he came to see me and we were chatting, so..."

As he struggled for an excuse, Ryo decided to be mean and not allow him to develop one.

He wasn't gonna buy it anyway, but usually he'd let Fubuki come up with something.

The Ice Prince was confused when Ryo began to leave, but felt uneasy when the man stopped at the door, hand resting against the door frame.

"Hey," he said to some random nurse that had been passing and peering in curiously, "can you get Mrs. Fuji? Fubuki still has some back issues."

**End Part V**


	6. PART VI

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. Ya, I think a sad ending is going to be in play here. Just don't shoot me for it. I really push the K+ rating on this chapter lol. But, I think it's ok, since the whole fic is generally k+. **

"Try and hug me. Just try. If Fubuki doesn't get away unscathed, what makes you think you will?"

Johan blanched a tad at the genuinely serious and warning look he received from the taller man, famously known as Marufuji Ryo, before he laughed skittishly and slinked off.

Honestly, it was like people were allergic to hugs. He didn't even think Ryo would settle for a manly handshake. Heck, the guy didn't look like he even wanted to be here. Johan frowned slightly at this. Was it him? Or...no, Ryo was like that with everyone.

Yeah, he'd go and see Asuka. She didn't seem to mind his presence. In fact, he gathered she liked it quite a bit.

_'But she also loses her confidence around me. I wonder why she's so out of character sometimes? Hmm...maybe what Fubuki said...'_

"_Dear brother in law!"_

"_My sister has a soft spot for you, you know."_

"_Asuka likes blue. Make sure to have some on your suit at the wedding."_

Just when he was about to stumble upon an answer, he stumbled across something else. The devil...no, she was no devil. Angel fit better. The angel herself.

"Oh Asuka!" he chirped, noting with interest the way she flushed and looked anywhere but him.

It didn't take him too long to realise why she was at a great discomfort though.

He merely blinked, gazing at her curiously. "Oh. Nice nightdress."

And in her humiliation, red completely overwhelmed her face.

Damn him and his simple ways of saying things that shouldn't be simple.

They had arrived a few hours ago. Ryo had been missing in action most of the day. Asuka realised this was his version of sulking, so told everyone to keep out of his glaring range. Oddly, everyone _did _apply to Johan, but he had smiled calmly and claimed Ryo would be fine with him just saying hello.

He'd just found out he was not going to try that again.

"Ah. Right..." She drew in a breath, relieved when it had the desired affect, and the red on her cheeks subsided.

The two stood there in complete, VERY awkward silence. When Asuka gathered the courage to look at him, she nearly jumped when she saw him focusing intently on her eyes. Usually a boy's eyes would be directed lower, but his were directly on hers, gently probing. She inwardly gulped. He was trying to figure something out.

She was hoping to high heaven it did not concern her and her certain unwanted feelings.

Of course, over the last week or so of being harassed by Fubuki, Momoe and Junko, alongside her very conflicting opinions of men and Johan, she had accepted she probably had a slight infatuation with him. It wasn't like she was exempt from crushes on people. She'd had them before. She'd just been caught off guard by this one because the previous ones didn't involve so many racing hearts, blushes and headaches. From thinking and arguing. With herself.

Eventually, she couldn't take it.

"Do you..." Her mind flew into a frenzy as she tried so hard to continue the sentence, not aided by the fact Johan was looking at her expectantly. "...Have those eggbread you promised me?"

Eh, it was weak, but it would break the tense atmosphere.

And luckily it did. At least, that was what Asuka thought as she watched his grin make the odd atmosphere dissipitate and cause off sensations in her chest and stomach. Since when did you have butterflies in your chest? They were probably what were causing her heart to have panic attacks whenever she found herself in an situation.

"Of course. I am a man of my word. I just don't have them with me at the moment," he replied.

"Should we get them?"

"At eleven?" He surveyed her, eyes shining with humour.

She reddened a bit and crossed her arms.

"Yeah. Probably not a good idea."

"Besides..." Ok. She wasn't in the best of states, and Johan nearing her with an undecipherable gleam in those green wonders called eyes wasn't calming her down. Did the boy not realise there was a boundary to how close two friends could get?

"Yes?" she asked, leaning back.

Of course, by now he had innocently captured her waist in his hands, and devilishly placed himself right in front of her. At the moment, she couldn't properly move back, and now the only thing moving was his face.

Towards hers.

Her heart started drumming again, and her blood boiled. The tips of their noses were touching, and she couldn't get far enough away.

"What I wanted to know..." His breath was warm against her lips, and she involuntarily shivered. Damn him and his obliviousness. Of course, along with her and her frozen nerves.

Her pride wasn't frozen though, and her so she responded.

"Yes?" she continued, sounding way more in control than she was.

"I was wondering..."

"Why do you teenagers never listen?! Even if I condemned you to death, you'd still make out on MY LAND."

Asuka found the energy to prance out of Johan's arms as his grip slackened, her face wildly red. Of course, Johan's pale skin didn't share the same condition.

"Oh. Sorry sir. But we weren't about to kiss," Johan explained...truthfully? It wasn't like he was intending to kiss Tenjoin Asuka. He had sensed her nervousness but he needed to know the truth. To do so, she had to stop running, and stopping her by the waist had worked.

Of course, then his head had started moving forward of its own accord. He'd gotten a strange feeling, and had easily seen Asuka's discomfort.

Would he have kissed her?

He didn't want to think about it. She probably would have destroyed his reproductive system after the initial shock had waned.

But...why hadn't she tried to get away? Sure, she was uncomfortable, but there was no A+ effort to escape.

Could she...?

"Look," the hotel manager grumbled, "stop trying to eat each other's faces and go to bed." Asuka felt a lump form in her throat at his choice of words. This was not happening. Johan, thankfully, had the decency to blush at this. At least she wasn't all alone on the mortification boat.

"We weren't-"

"Johan," Asuka sighed, suddenly feeling very weary. "Let's just go to sleep." She claimed his hand, and his blush spread a little bit.

Observing this and misunderstanding Asuka's words, the man's face flared in anger and a vein popped up on his face.

"AND YOU'RE NOT SLEEPING TOGETHER EITHER YOU IDIOTS! THAT'S EVEN WORSE THAN MAKING OUT IN PUBLIC!"

Asuka let go of Johan's hand abruptly, and her mouth opened. Nothing resembling sound came out. Of course, this was more than made up for the strangled one that emerged from Johan's.

"JUST WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?!" Johan shouted.

Another vein popped up on his face.

"MY MIND? YOU TWO ARE THE TWO DIRTY ONES!"

"We're not!" Johan argued, looking visibly upset.

Asuka, not contributing to the...debate, was resting face in the palm of her hand.

This was a dream. A lovely dream that some sadistic bugger had turned into a nightmare towards the end.

Even though Johan's warmth had felt really real...

That was it. She was going to sleep.

"I feel unwell..." she suddenly piped up, wobbling a bit. Anger and sadness replaced by concern, Johan wrapped an arm around Asuka's waist.

She blushed. That wasn't what she needed.

"Do you want to take you back?" he whispered.

The hotel owner snorted.

"Right. He'll help you back and then discover you've got a fever, so then your clothes will be off-"

"Enough!" Johan interrupted in a calm but forceful voice. One hand was attached to her forehead, and the amount of heat on it actually got him worried she had gotten a fever. Of course, he wasn't going to let the man run his mouth and dirty claims while his friend was ill. "She's sick. I need to take her back."

And so, supporting Asuka, who was not really ill, Johan marched off, looking determined and steady.

"Sick. Beh. Pregnant more like."

Which faltered as Johan tumbled forward at the man's assumption.

* * *

Ryo was doing a good awful job of not trying to smirk as a slightly red Johan relayed the events of the previous night.

He had no idea why Johan had come to him for advice, but if it brought him closer to getting the two together, and getting him out of a pinch, he was fine with it.

And there was also the amusement.

"So now the hotel owner of all people thinks we're dating and doing THAT stuff and-"

"Slow."

"He...he's convinced Asuka is..." The last word came out in a gargle, and Ryo barely understood it, indicated by his arched brow. "Pregnant!"

Ryo wasn't going to laugh. That wasn't his style.

He did smirk though.

"You are in quite a predicament, aren't you?"

Johan nodded glumly.

"What do I-?"

"Do you love Asuka?"

He flushed at this.

"W-what? Where did something like that come from? We're just friends caught in an odd predicament!" he explained.

_'Yes. Close friends who should be dating to get me out of my own predicament.'_

"Well, I can't help you until you answer sincerely," Ryo apologized, smirking at Johan's expression. "So, come back when you've decided you love Asuka. Until then, you can ramble, but I won't be listening or giving advice."

Meanwhile, Asuka was getting her own beating from Junko and Momoe. God knows why she had invited them, as an isolated, silent room was swiftly becoming more appealing.

"What happened with Johan?" Momoe inquired.

"You were with him for ages!" Junko pointed out, giggling.

"Oh no. I was with a friend," Asuka said sarcastically, placing her hand on her cheek in false shock.

Noting the lack of passion in reply, Junko and Momoe frowned, exchanging confused and worried looks.

"Asuka?" Momoe gently prodded.

The aforementioned suddenly exhaled deeply, catching the other two off guard. She shook her head, looking at her quilt with sad eyes.

"It's all so confusing. Why him?"

Once again, the two watching their friend wrap herself in her own musings swapped glances.

* * *

"It's good and bad. Asuka and Johan are getting closer, but both are upset at how."

Fubuki, who had been smiling at the first bit, frowned at the small picture of Ryo he was conversing with.

"Why?"

"Well..."

As Ryo informed Asuka's older brother of the events, his expressions varied. A lot.

"If only I was there. My sister wouldn't be so glum!"

From the other end, Ryo's face remained neutral.

"Right. It'd be impossible for her to be glum if she's too preoccupied with being angry."

Fubuki pouted at the claim, though he was aware Ryo had a point. Of course, the way Fubuki really took it was that he meant Asuka would be too busy laughing and appreciating him. It's not like Asuka was constantly angry at him.

"Damn back," he groused. "If only I was back to my good old self."

"Please, don't be in a rush to get better."

"I must be, if just for Asuka's sake!" he declared. He saw Ryo sigh loudly, and bid the blue haired duellist farewell.

"Can I help with your sister's love life?" his room-mate piped up.

Fubuki scowled.

"No. Only I can."

"Oh."

Fubuki put the small device down and gently lowered himself fully onto his back. He flinched a bit at the familiar pain, but sighed in relief when it died down, sprawling out across the bed. He closed his eyes and yearned for sleep, when-

"So, does this mean I can be one of your sister's love possibilities?"

Fubuki brought the covers further up his body and closed his eyes even harder.

* * *

"These teenagers make me laugh. Honestly, like I don't know what they're really up to," the hotel owner snorted to the receptionist.

He was currently busy staring blankly at the desk, eyes tired. He was listening, really. He was trying so hard, but nothing was working. The ass had kept him up all night with his own dirty business.

Why he had that dirty business was confusing for the receptionist.

"Mr. Akuma, I think you should be getting to bed," he suggested, hoping to God that the man would comply.

When Mr. Akuma's race rolled up in a snarl, most would have flinched, but the receptionist, Shinji, was just _that _damn used to it.

"Beh. Lazy boy."

But with those words, he was gone.

The receptionist let out a sigh of relief, and then allowed his mind to wander.

He'd remembered seeing those two teenagers come in. The boy had been supporting a girl-a really, really pretty girl-who seemed to have been affected by love sickness if anything. From what'd he seen and heard, it seemed like the pair were two that should have been a couple but weren't.

Heck, if he cared enough in the morning-after a good night's sleep, of course-he might try and get to know them. After all, his alter ego was a fantastic, unmasked match maker.

**End Part VI**


	7. PART VII

**Down South**

**Summary: ...And she never did like cowboys.**

**Dreamshipping-Asuka x Johan. Ok, now my internet is back up, expect some regular updates. We're now slightly past half way. 5 more chapters roughly after this. This is quite a detailed chapter, as in not as much dialogue as usual.**

Sunlight cast its radiance over Duel Academia, seeping purposely through the nurse's window to poke Fubuki in the eye. The aforementioned made a gurgling sound and tossed and turned, completely messing up the sheets Mrs. Fuji had painstakingly straightened by hand.

The sun persisted, and eventually Fubuki rolled off his kind of comfortable bed onto the not so comfortable floor.

His back throbbed, and he considered it pretty much his back's way of yawning...until the pain knocked him from his sleep induced stupor and he let out a howl, hopping to his feet...

Only to grace the floor with his rear.

"Oh. Is that your natural habitat?" a voice sneered from nearby.

Fubuki's brow went through the motion of twitching, as he turned his head to the source of the deep voice.

Takei, with his frizzled brown red hair always over his evil greyish eyes so you couldn't tell what misdeeds he was planning (most likely involving Asuka and unmentionable items), had the audacity to _smirk _from his bed.

"Oh forgive me. I have a bad habit of waking _rats _early morning," was the hissed response.

"At least I'm not a _snake_," he explained with that smirky smirk of his smirking its way continuously up his face.

They'd be on decent terms last night, Fubuki vaguely recalled in his raging mind as he struggled to reach his feet, hoping to intimidate Takei with his minuscule height advantage.

It was when Fubuki had been constantly bugged by the insomniac rat about Asuka when their decent terms had crumbled.

He'd thrown a pillow at Takei and had not only been rendered pillowless by a simple mistake, but had had to hit a bullseye and wallop Takei's bedside table, which contained the boy's lamp and water.

Of course, the not-targeted-but-still-somehow-hit-objects made their way to their respective destinations; the water to the floor and the lamp to Takei's eye.

While Takei was in for some reason Fubuki had yet to decipher, he hadn't appreciated being temporarily blinded by Fubuki's spectacular aim.

Had he not been attempting to guard his 'treasures' and such from enraged, flailing sticks which he gathered were Takei's legs, he would have pointed out the wonderfully stained carpet and jubilantly declared:

"Takei's sure done a number on the floor; a number one, that is!"

But as fate had it, he wound up coughing and gagging while trying to sleep, and getting yelled at Takei-whose fault it was in the first place-to stop choking and shut up.

It wasn't like he'd _asked _Takei to shove his foot in his mouth.

And so here Fubuki was, standing right in front of the room's other occupant with a glare on his features. He received a similar look from the mentioned, and the two proceeded to have a staring contest until the entrance to their room swung open.

Wide eyed with fear, the two's contest became ended as Mrs. Fuji stood there, looking positively vulgar and irate.

"Ok. Which one of you spray painted "Mrs. Fuji broke Mt. Fuji" on my office door?"

Instead of protesting their innocence, which, surprisingly both possessed, they broke into a fit of giggles and exchanged looks.

Mrs. Fuji, who did not share in their enthusiastic giggles, drew her brows together.

The two males jumped to alert when her hand disappeared behind her back.

"Ah, Mrs. Fuji," Takei began quickly, "what are-?"

"Ok boys. Both of you confess before I..._interrogate _you."

* * *

Ryo was baffled, but could not for the life of him deny he was relieved. He had not gotten any calls from Fubuki, and he'd been up waiting for a whole _four _minutes for the Blizzard Prince to check up on the 'couple's'-his-progress.

The faint stirrings of anger whirled in his gut. He'd gotten up _four _minutes early so Fubuki would not have the satisfaction of waking him, but the jerk hadn't even _bothered _to ring. The nerve!

Bleary eyed, the azure headed boy turned his attention to his digital clock-which he'd had to personally bring, because analogue angered him when it warped the actual time with its reading difficulty early morning-and the red digits practically blinded him.

Six twenty two. In. The. Morning.

Too early for him and Kaiser.

His early morning mind moaning was cut short by a horrific snore tearing through his concentration. Blinking, his eyes surveyed the cramped room until he found the source of the monstrous enemy of peace and quiet.

"Eggbread, remember...Asuka...!" the European mumbled out with something Ryo guessed was determination...promptly discarded when Johan's face muscles relaxed and another snore blew up the silence like a grenade.

Hell, he wasn't getting to sleep.

With a hearty sigh, he slipped out of his bed. The cold joyfully ensnared whatever bare piece of flesh it could find, and found it was triumphant when Ryo shivered.

By the time Ryo was by the door, he contemplated traversing the seemingly endless path back to his bed to retrieve his coat.

Another snore from Johan told him to bugger off and stay away until around ten.

Ryo complied.

* * *

Asuka wasn't exactly getting her beauty sleep either.

Now, none of her friends snored, which was a Godsend in itself, because she was very sensitive to sounds like that for some reason.

But...she had to share a bed with Momoe, because the owners of the place were not liable for 'extra baggage' like Momoe and Junko.

She'd inwardly begged for Junko, but Momoe had happily volunteered before she could beg the red haired girl. So, she was left hanging her head in despair while Junko laughed from a distance. Luckily, Momoe was as dense as a blind brick.

Asuka let out a mouthed yelp as her arms and legs waved frantically, searching for something to cling to.

She, however, ended up on the floor, much her brother did back when they were young and sharing a bed.

And, her head was in a rather large amount of pain from being forcefully-but not surprisingly-kicked.

"And you said you _weren't _like your brother," she heard a muffled chuckle from Junko.

"Asuka!" Momoe's admonishing voice sounded. "What are you doing fooling around like that so early? It's half six; _half six _you heathen. Get back here!"

Asuka debated whether going back or not was a good idea, before she cast Junko and Momoe a dubious look.

"Um...hey," she suddenly said, becoming distracted, "it's quite cold, isn't it?"

"Yes. All the more reason to hurry yourself back here," Momoe said dryly.

"Actually, I think the cold has roused me from sleep," Asuka explained, drawing her fingers through her ruffled hair. It'd have to be meeting the brush soon, and in turn the hotel would have to be meeting short, pained yelps.

"Or your head has had too much of a wild time in bed," Junko giggled from her lair.

"You have a headache?" Momoe asked doubtfully, doing her best elegant raise of an eyebrow she'd spent three and a half hours plucking. "Isn't it better to get into blankets then?"

"I need the toilet," Asuka murmured, jumping to her feet.

"Hey! Getting up so suddenly isn't gonna help your headache!" Momoe yelled.

"Stop yelling! She's got a headache!" Junko countered, hiding the laugh in her voice.

"You're the one yelling!"

"No; you are!"

Asuka rolled her eyes, before reaching for the door handle and pushing it down. She really did need the toilet, but it happened to be all the way down the end of the second floor.

* * *

"No! Leave the eggbread alone you demon! Asuka! No! Don't go near that chef! He doesn't have eggbread! He's lyi-" Johan promptly threw head forward, hanging it low. His chest was heaving and sweat was making tracks down his skin. He looked up to the ceiling mournfully. "Last time I have eggbread before sleep," he muttered. His stomach growled and he grinned, patting it. "Well, looks like I'm still hungry. Anywho, my hungry stomach isn't gonna let me sleep, so I better go shut it up."

He cast his blanket to the side, but when his feet touched the ground he immediately brought them back to the bed. "Wow. I guess it's not helped by the fact I'm practically allergic to the cold without food in my stomach."

He braved the cold floor and hopped across the ground, pulling the door handle down quickly. When he was met by the carpeted floor of the hall, he let out a sigh of relief. He allowed his feet to warm a bit, flinching as the cool temperature spread fully through his feet, before his face muscles relaxed as the warmth covered the cold.

"I hope some of the good stuff is left," he said to himself, smiling at what his food deprived mind conjured up. Eggbread with salami? Eggbread with jam? Eggbread and- "Eggbread? Why is that on my mind so much?" he wondered aloud.

"Because it's your and Asuka's love symbol," a voice explained in a completely serious tone.

Johan blinked and turned around to be greeted by Ryo's stoic face. The European completely blanked at him, before grinning and walking over.

"I can tell you need some eggbread."

"No, I don't," he responded.

"Then why are you acting insane?"

"Why won't you just fall in love with Asuka?"

Johan stepped back at this, surveying Ryo with an incredulous tint to his gaze.

"Why does everyone think that? Some mean guy thought she was pregnant and that we were naughty young adults. It was so embarrassing. I think Asuka was more mortified than me."

"Well...you two look like a nice couple..."

"That might be so, but only in a few people's opinions. The fact of the matter is neither of us want to be a couple," Johan sighed angrily.

"How do you know Asuka doesn't want it? How do you know she isn't struggling with inner turmoil and trying to get past the "I love only dueling phase"? Are you her?" Ryo shot back, smirking at bit when Johan's face coloured.

"Well, of course I'm not her, but...I mean...she hasn't made any outward hints that she likes me...so..."

"Or could it be that you're annoyingly oblivious and the implications are actually very obvious."

Johan merely blushed harder and tried to formulate a defence.

"Asuka just doesn't give off any vibe that she likes me like that," he told Ryo meekly. The addressed slowly arched an eyebrow.

"Right...you just keep telling yourself that," he said in an almost sympathetic manner, patting Johan on the shoulder.

Johan's facial muscles tensed a bit at the comment, before they loosened once more at the coughing sound Ryo made.

"What?" he enquired.

Ryo gave him an annoyed look.

"I've got a craving for eggbread now, with all this Asuka talk."

* * *

"So, you practically told Johan that Asuka likes him!? Ryo, that's not the way! What happened to those suave move I taught you!? What about the class of being subtle!?"

"I remember pointedly telling you I wasn't paying attention," the aforementioned claimed from the other end of the small device. Fubuki made a face, before leaning back and smiling.

"So...do you think you've frazzled Johan enough? Do you think he's gonna spend every waking moment contemplating his feelings?"

Ryo glanced at Johan, who was currently eating food so fast he looked like he was inhaling it.

"Urh, give him some time."

**END PART VII**


End file.
